ONLY ON 3: Apartment holding dead man’s belongings

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington woman is speaking out after an apartment complex won’t let her into her dead brother’s apartment.

“We’ve done everything that people do when someone dies without a will and this has still been to no avail.,” Pam Smith said.

Her family has been fighting Harbour Ridge Apartments after the sudden death of her brother Jason Johnson, in April.

“The apartment complex immediately changed the locks,” Smith said. “They let us in for a brief time to get my brother’s cat out after it had been in there for 24 hours.”

For months, Harbour Ridge’s management has requested legal documents and letters, all of which the family has obtained. Some of the furniture in the apartment has been in the family for generations. WWAY reached out to the Harbour Ridge leasing office and they declined to comment. The property manager referred us to their attorney, but he’s currently out of the office.

Not long after our call, the complex called smith. She said they told her she would eventually be able to enter the unit, but only for a brief time and on management’s schedule.

“I’m so worried they’re going to change on us because each time we provide the documents they want, then they change their minds and want another document,” Smith said.

Smith said they never wanted a legal battle and it has made the family’s loss even more difficult.

“We’d just like to end this chapter which has been heartbreaking anyway, but if we could at least clear his apartment, have his things go to family members, it would be really helpful for the family to move on somewhat.”